Mozambique coach Chiquinho Conde has conceded his Mambas face a daunting challenge against Nigeria’s Super Eagles in today’s Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 clash at Fez Stadium, but insists his side will show respect without buckling under pressure. The match, set for 8:00 pm Nigerian time in the northern Moroccan city of Fez the capital of the Fez-Meknes region pits the West African giants against a history-making underdog eyeing their first-ever win over the three-time champions.
While Nigeria chase a fourth continental crown, Mozambique dream of etching their name in AFCON lore. The Mambas scraped into the knockouts for the first time, grabbing three points from three Group C games as one of the four best third-placed teams. Their campaign mixed inconsistency—a 2-1 loss to Cameroon on December 31 marked their second defeat in three recent matches across competitions—with a standout victory over Gabon.
Conde laid bare the mismatch in remarks reported by African Football. “As a team, we know we will face the best the further we go in the tournament,” he said. “We can’t say we are happy to face Nigeria because a win would have taken us away from that path or maybe if we finished second or third. Nigeria is a strong team and no one will want to play against them.”
“But it’s the task that we have at hand and we will approach the game like the way we do against the top teams in Africa,” Conde added. “Show them respect but play without fear.”
The words echo Mozambique’s improbable journey. Since joining CAF in 1976 after independence from Portugal, the Mambas have qualified for just five AFCONs prior to this 2025 edition—their best run ending in the 2010 quarter-finals under Mart Nooij. That year, they stunned Benin 2-0 before bowing to Ghana. Today’s outing marks only their second knockout appearance, a testament to Conde’s grit amid domestic league struggles back home.
Nigeria hold all the aces in the fixture ledger. The teams have clashed five times since their 1999 debut—an August friendly in Lagos that the Super Eagles won 2-0. Public records show Nigeria unbeaten: four victories and one draw. Their latest encounter, a rip-roaring 3-2 friendly win in October 2023 at Estádio Municipal de Albufeira in Portugal, saw late drama with goals from Victor Osimhen and others sealing the deal.
That history underscores Nigeria’s pedigree. The Super Eagles, AFCON winners in 1980, 1994, and 2013, have reached 12 knockout stages since their debut in 1963. Fez Stadium, with its 45,000 capacity and electric atmosphere, hosted Morocco’s 2-0 group-stage loss to Nigeria—a result that propelled the Eagles top of Group C with eight goals scored.
Mozambique’s path mirrors the grit of smaller nations crashing the big-party circuit. Their 2-2 draw with Algeria in the groups recalled the 2010 upset, but losses to Egypt and Cameroon exposed defensive frailties—conceding in each outing.
Victory sends the winner into the quarter-finals on January 10 against either Algeria or DR Congo, both battle-hardened sides with their own continental scars. For Mozambique, toppling Nigeria would eclipse their 2010 highs and stun a continent. For the Eagles, it’s another step toward reclaiming glory last tasted under Stephen Keshi in 2013.
